Coatings and materials can become soiled from debris (particles, insects, oils, etc.) impacting the surface. The debris affects airflow over the surface as well as aesthetics and normally is removed by washing. Coatings also can accumulate ice under certain environmental conditions.
Many attempts are described to mitigate insect accumulation during the early days of aircraft development. These include mechanical scrapers, deflectors, traps, in-flight detachable surfaces, in-flight dissolvable surfaces, viscous surface fluids, continuous washing fluids, and suction slots. The results of most of these trials were determined ineffective or impractical for commercial use.
Recently, Wohl et al., “Evaluation of commercially available materials to mitigate insect residue adhesion on wing leading edge surfaces,” Progress in Organic Coatings 76 (2013) 42-50 describe work at NASA to create anti-insect adhesion or “bugphobic” surfaces. Wohl et al. tested the effect of organic-based coatings on insect adhesion to surfaces, but the coatings did not fully mitigate the issue. Wohl et al. also describe previously used approaches to reduce bug adhesion such as mechanical scrapers, deflectors, paper and/or other coverings, elastic surfaces, soluble films, and washing the surface continually with fluid.
One approach to this problem is to create a self-cleaning surface that removes debris from itself by controlling chemical interactions between the debris and the surface.
Superhydrophobic and superoleophobic surfaces create very high contact angles (>150°) between the surface and drops of water and oil, respectively. The high contact angles result in the drops rolling off the surface rather than remaining on the surface. These surfaces do not repel solid foreign matter or vapors of contaminants. Once soiled by impact, debris will remain on the surface and render it ineffective. Also, these surfaces lose function if the nanostructured top surface is scratched.
Fluoropolymer sheets or treated surfaces have low surface energies and thus low adhesion force between foreign matter and the surface. However, friction between impacting debris and the surface results in the sticking of contaminants.
Fluorofluid-filled surfaces have very low adhesion between impacting debris and the surface. However, if any of the fluid is lost, the surface cannot be refilled/renewed once applied on the vehicle, and thus loses its properties (see Wong et al., “Bioinspired self-repairing slippery surfaces with pressure-stable omniphobicity,” Nature 477, 443-447, 2011).
Enzyme-filled coatings leech out enzymes that dissolve debris on the surface. However, the enzymes are quickly depleted and cannot be refilled, rendering this approach impractical.
Kok et al., “Influence of surface characteristics on insect residue adhesion to aircraft leading edge surfaces,” Progress in Organic Coatings 76 (2013) 1567-1575, describe various polymer, sol-gel, and superhydrophobic coatings tested for reduced insect adhesion after impact. The best-performing materials were high-roughness, superhydrophobic surfaces. However, they did not show that debris could be removed from the superhydrophobic surfaces once insects broke on the surface.
Ice accumulation can be mitigated by active systems that redirect hot engine bleed air to a given location or mechanical bladders that can actuate to expand and break ice free from a wing surface. Superhydrophobic surfaces have been attempted for the reduction of ice accumulation on surfaces. However, it has been shown that superhydrophobic properties do not equate to icephobic properties (see Chen et al., “Superhydrophobic surfaces cannot reduce ice adhesion,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 101, 111603, 2012).
In view of the shortcomings in the art, improved materials and material systems are needed.